Strand tensioning mechanism



Nov. 19, 1957 R. L. CARROLL 2,813,687

STRAND TENSIONING MECHANISM INVENTOR.

ROBERT L. CARROLL ms Arron/v5) R. L. CARROLL STRAND TENSIONING MECHANISM Nov. 13, 1%57 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 17, 1957 INVENTOR. noaznr L. manna/.1.

IIIS'ATTORNEY United States Patent 2,813,687 STRAND TENSIONING MECHANISM Robert L. Carroll, Greenville, S. C.

Application January 17, 1957, Serial No. 634,760

4 Claims. 01. 242-154 This invention relates to a strand tensioning mechanism for controlling the travel of yarn or strands between a relatively fixed member and a relatively movable member having strand engaging elements that engage the yarn more tightly or loosely depending on the speed of travel and character of the yarn, and it has for its purpose to afford a mechanism in which the members can easily be separated and the yarn quickly and accurately positioned between them, to permit extremely easy loading of the device.

In addition to effecting easy loading, the invention also has for a purpose to effectively prevent accidental or unintentional disengagement of the yarn from proper feeding position between the yarn engaging members when in loaded position.

A further purpose is to apply gradually increasing degrees of tension to the yarn as it travels through the mechanism, and also to enable adjusting the tension so that uniform tension is applied to the yarn throughout the length of its travel through the mechanism, or either minimum or maximum tension is applied at the beginning of its travel with gradually increasing or decreasing tension as it travels upwardly.

Still an additional object of the invention is to provide the relatively fixed member with arcuate hook-shaped yarn engaging portions that afford maximum yarn engaging surfaces and hold the yarn securely against disengagement, and to so mount the movable member that after it is once adjusted to operative position, its supporting bearings are not subject to wear, and its efiiciency is not lessened or its correct position changed as a result of wear or continued operations.

To these and other ends, the invention consists in the construction and arrangement of parts that will appear clearly from the following description, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, the novel features being pointed out in the claims following the specification.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view in front elevation showing a preferred embodiment of the invention, with the yarn and yarn engaging members in operating position;

Fig. 2 is a similar view, showing the yarn engaging members separated to permit loading;

Fig. 3 is a view in side elevation, with the parts in the Fig. 1 position;

Fig. 4 is a plan view, with parts broken away;

Fig. 5 is a side elevation looking in the opposite direction to Fig. 3, and

Fig. 6 is a front elevation of a modified form of the invention.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, in which like reference numerals refer to the same parts throughout the several views, 1 designates the frame including offset arms 2 and 3 at the top and bottom respectively, while 4 is a bracket carried by the frame for attaching it to a machine through which yarn is being fed.

Mounted in the arms 2 and 3 are set screws 5 and 6,

preferably of nylon, or brass, which are adjustable in the arms vertically and constitute bearings for the movable and oscillatory yarn engaging member consisting of a post 7 of aluminum which is rotatively supported in said bearings 5 and 6 and carries a series of spaced retaining rods 8 of refractory material extending perpendicularly to the post. The rods or bars 8 are preferably straight and of cylindrical cross-section, extending between the arcuate hook-shaped guide members to be described presently. 9 designates guide eyes mounted on the arms 2 and 3, While 11 is an operating handle carried by the post 7 and engageable with the frame to limit movement of the post to operating position, the handle 11 being moved when it is desired to separate the movable member from the fixed member, and load the yarn. The movable member is retained in operating position against the tension of the yarn by a weight 12 attached to a connection 13 which extends over pulley 14, mounted on rod 15, and is attached to the arm 16 mounted on post 7.

Referring to Fig. 1, 17 designates a support or plate pivoted at its upper end at 18 to the frame 1 and adjustable laterally at its lower end. To accomplish this, the support 17 has a curved slot 19 through which extends a fastening screw 21 that is tightened to hold the support in adjusted position. The support 17 carries a series of spaced guide members, extending laterally from the support, and each consisting of a body portion 22 and an arcuate hookshaped portion 23 that bends forwardly and thence rearwardly, terminating in close proximity to the body portion 22, but spaced slightly therefrom to permit loading the yarn into the guide members. The post 7 and retaining rods 8 are in rear of the arcuate hook-shaped guide members, and the retaining rods 8 when in operating position extend between alternate hook-shaped portions of the guide members and also extend forwardly beyond the guide members, thereby acting to prevent accidental displacement of the yarn from the guide members, the yarn traveling between the inner surfaces of the hook-shaped portions and the adjacent surfaces of the retaining rods.

When the support 17 is adjusted to a vertical position as in Fig. 1, the guide members are all in vertical alinement, and the tension on the yarn is uniform throughout its travel from bottom to top.

If the support 17 is adjusted to the right, the tension on the yarn is slight as it enters and increases as the yarn moves up, and by adjusting the support to the right or left, any desired variation in tension on the yarn as it travels up can be had, depending on the character of the yarn and different speed conditions.

This result can also be obtained by a structure such as shown in Fig. 6, in which the variation in tension is had by arranging the retaining rods in staggered relation on the post 7, so that tension is at a minimum at the bottom and increases as the yarn travels up.

Thus the tension, and change of tension can be varied for different yarns, and different speeds, all of which is of great advantage, particularly with certain low and zero twist yarns.

While the invention has been described with reference to the structure disclosed, it is not confined to the specific form shown, and this application is intended to cover such modifications or departures as may come within the purposes of the improvements and the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A strand tensioning mechanism comprising a frame, a series of spaced guide members mounted on said frame, each of said guide members consisting of refractory material and including a body portion and an arcuate hookshaped end bent forwardly and thence rearwardly and terminating in close proximity to said body portion, an oscillatory post mounted on said frame in rear of said guide members, and a series of straight retaining rods of refractory material mounted on said post in spaced relation to each other, said rods being of cylindrical crosssection and when in operating position extending between alternate hook-shaped ends of the guide members tan gentially to the inner curved surfaces thereof and forwardly beyond said hook-shaped ends.

2. A strand tensioning mechanism comprising a frame, a series of spaced guide members mounted on said frame, each of said guide members consisting of refractory material and including a body portion and an arcuate hookshaped end bent forwardly and thence rearwardly and terminating in close proximity to said body portion, adjustable screws at the top and bottom of said frame, an oscillatory post mounted on said screws in rear of said guide members and adjustable vertically on said frame, and a series of retaining rods of refractory material mounted on said post in spaced relation to each other, said rods when in operating position extending between alternate hook-shaped ends of the guide members and forwardly beyond said hook-shaped ends.

3. A strand tensioning mechanism comprising a frame, a support pivotally mounted at its upper end on said frame, the lower end of said support being adjustable laterally, retaining means holding the support in adjusted position on said frame, a series of spaced guide members mounted on said support, each of said guide members consisting of refractory material and including a body portion and an arcuate hook-shaped end bent forwardly and thence rearwardly and terminating in close proximity to said body portion, an oscillatory post mounted on said frame in rear of said guide members, and a series of retaining rods of refractory material mounted on said post in spaced relation to each other, said rods when in operating position extending between alternate hook-shaped ends of the guide members and forwardly beyond said hook-shaped ends.

4. A strand tensioning mechanism comprising a frame, a series of spaced guide members mounted on said frame, each of said guide members consisting of refractory material and including a body portion and an arcuate hookshaped end bent forwardly and thence rearwardly and terminating in close proximity to said body portion, an oscillatory post mounted on said frame in rear of said guide members and a series of retaining rods of refractory material mounted on said post in spaced relation to each other, said rods being arranged in staggered relation vertically of said post and extending between alternate hook-shaped ends of the guide members and forwardly beyond said hook-shaped ends when in operating position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 948,580 Schweiter Feb. 8, 1910 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,100,647 France Apr. 6, 1955 

